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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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31103.00 – Veterinarians

Veterinarians prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and disorders in animals and advise clients on the feeding, hygiene, housing and general care of animals. They can also perform surgical procedures.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Farm veterinarian
  • Small animal veterinary specialist
  • Veterinarian
  • Veterinary inspector
  • Veterinary pathologist
  • Veterinary physiologist
  • Veterinary surgeon
  • Zoo veterinarian

Core competencies

  • Critical Thinking, Decision Making and Problem Solving to analyze complex medical cases, evaluate symptoms, address challenges that may arise during animal care and make informed decisions about diagnoses or treatment plans
  • Instructing to properly explain medical conditions and treatment options for animals to guide patients through the home healing process
  • Finger Dexterity to precisely perform surgery and dental services for animals to ensure all abnormal cells or obstructions have been removed with minimal damage to healthy cells
  • Problem Identification and Inductive Reasoning to analyze symptoms, diagnostic test results or other information to arrive at accurate diagnoses and effective treatment plans
  • Attention to Detail to closely review diagnostic test results and x-rays to identify any deviations from normal
  • Knowledge in Veterinarian and Animal Care to understand animal growth or development, breed-specific illnesses, common illnesses and the potential impact of medical interventions on animal health to apply evidence-based practices in their work

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Diagnose diseases or abnormal conditions in individual animals, herds and flocks through physical examinations or laboratory tests
  • Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds or performing surgery
  • Vaccinate animals to prevent and treat diseases
  • Perform routine, emergency and post-mortem examinations
  • Advise clients on feeding, housing, behaviour, breeding, hygiene and general care of animals
  • Provide a range of veterinary services including obstetrics, dentistry and euthanasia
  • May supervise animal health technologists and animal care workers
  • May be responsible for overall operation of animal hospital, clinic or mobile service to farms
  • May conduct veterinary research related to areas such as animal nutrition, health care products development and disease prevention and control
  • May enforce government regulations in disease control and food production including animal or animal-based food inspection.

Additional information

  • The duties of veterinarians performing research may be similar to those of some biologists.
  • In its regulations, the 'Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ)' recognizes only the following specialties: Animal behavioural medicine; Laboratory animal medicine; Large animal internal medicine; Large animal surgery; Pet internal medicine; Pet surgery; Veterinary anesthesiology; Veterinary clinical pathology; Veterinary dermatology; Veterinary emergency and intensive care; Veterinary medical imaging; Veterinary microbiology; Veterinary neurology; Veterinary oncology; Veterinary ophthalmology; Veterinary pathology; Veterinary theriogenology; and Zoological medicine.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians (32104)
  • Biologists and related scientists (21110)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

3 – Health occupations

TEER

1 – Occupations usually require a university degree

Major group

31 – Professional occupations in health

Sub-major group

311 – Health treating and consultation services professionals

Minor group

3110 – Physicians and veterinarians

Unit group

31103 – Veterinarians

Occupational profile

31103.00 – Veterinarians

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.